Heating system



21, 1937. I J. H. MEAHER v 2,102,727

HEATING SYSTEM Filed Oct. 8, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l C 40 29w 29b 0 /13 INVENTOR a. H.MAHEP ATTORNEY Dec. 21, 1937. J. H. MAH'ER 2,102,727

HEATING SYSTEM Filed Oct. 8, 1936' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 35- J I 35 H Bl .j

. 1 1 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII INVENTOR JJ-l-MAHER ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 21, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE ammo srs'rnu James H. Miner, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Application October a, 1936, Serial No. 104,609

This invention relates to heating systems and comprises a generally improved hot air heating system in which heat, ordinarily lost through the smoke flue of the hot air furnace, is efficiently utilized for air heating purposes in such manner that fuel consumption is substantially decreased as compared with the various hot air heating systems now in use.

Another feature of theinvention consists in the provision of a hot air heating system in which eillcient distribution and circulation of heated air is achieved in a simple and inexpensive manner without resorting to the use of the suction fans or blowers ordinarily employed for this purpose.

A still further feature of the invention resides in the provision of a hot air heating system in which the number of flues provided for the distribution of the heated air'is reduced to a mini- Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 2--2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view showing the construction of the smoke hue and air heating flue provided in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken along the line 44 of Fig. 1, certain elements that would otherwise appear in this figure being omitted for the sake of clearness.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 5 designates a hot air furnace provided'with the usual air heating chamber 8, fire box I, grate 8, ash pit 9, fire door. Ill andash door H. Cold air is admitted to chamber 8 through an inlet l2 equipped with a. suitable screen or filter H to exclude dust and other impurities.

The chamber 6 is formed between an outer casing l5 and an inner casing 18, the latter containing the fire box I, grate 8 and ash pit 9. The smoke and products oi combustion resulting from the burning of fuel on the grate 8 pass upwardly around a baille l1 into the smoke boxl8 and from thence to the smoke flue or chimney I 9. In the present instance the furnace 5 is shown located in the basement A of a house or other building and the smoke pipe I9 is arranged to extend vertically through the floors 29 and 2| of the upper stories B and C and through the roof D. The upper portion of flue I9 is reduced in diameter to provide a restricted portion 22 having its inception at a point slightly below the roof D. A suitable damper 23 is preferably arranged in the fiue l9 at the lower end of the restricted portion 22.

The cold air admitted through inlet I2 is heated as it rises in chamber 6 to a dome 24 in which a substantial pressure is built up by the accumulation of heated air, A water pan 24a is arranged in chamber 8,as shown in Fig. 1, so that water contained in said pan is converted into steam and serves to humidify the heated air in chamber 6 an'ddome 24. I The dome 24 is provided with restricted air outlets 25 and 28 the areas of which are suitably proportioned with reference tothe cubical capacity of the dome so as tomaintain a uniform pressure within the dome which is sufilcient to force the heated air through outlets 28 and ducts 28 to portions of the building remote from the furnace 5 and the smoke fiue l9. The heated air discharged through outlets 28 is delivered to an air heating flue 29 surrounding the smoke flue IS. The fiue 29 is also carried upwardly through the fioors 29 and 2| and the roof D and has its upper portion restricted as indicated at 38. The upper portion of flue 29 is closed ofi by a plate 3| and a filling 32 of mineral wool or other heat insulating material which istightly packed around the restricted portion 22 of the smoke fiue l9 between plate 3| and the chimney cap Ma.

At each of the floors 13 and C, the fiue 29 is provided with hot air outlets 34 and upwardly directed cool air inlets 3,5. The relatively cool air adjacent each of the floors 2| and 22 is drawn into the heating fiue 29 through the inlets 35 by the injector action of the fiue heated air rising toward the outlets 34. This relatively cool air fiows upwardly in heat interchanging relation with the smoke fiue l9 to the outlets 34 through which it is discharged along with the heated air that is supplied to the lower end of the flue 29 from storage space or dome 24. It will thus be seen that the air surrounding the flue 29 at each of the floors B and C is quickly and uniformly heated by rapid circulation thereof in contact 50 charged through the outlets 34 of flue 29. is passed to the space at the side of the partition remote from said flue. I have also shown an air flow passage 39 through which relatively cool air is drawn past the partition 31 and into the inlets 35 of flue 28 for reheating and redistribution.

The restricted portion 22 retards the escape of the hot flue gases from the main portion of the smoke flue i8 to' such an extent that a relatively large proportion of the heat contained in these gases is utilized in heating the air contained in the surrounding air heating flue 29. I have also found that, in practice, the amount of heat-which the smoke and flue gases are caused to give up to the air circulating through the flue 29 maybe greatly increased by appropriate setting of the damper 23 provided at the juncture of the main portion of the flue I! with the restricted portion 22. when the damper 23 is arranged to engage the stop 23a the hot gases are retained in the main portion of flue l9 until practically all the heat contained in these gases has been transferred to the wall of the flue and to the air contained within the air heating flue 29. It is also pointed out that the pressure built up in the main portion of the flue i9 is sufllcient to force the relatively cool gases past the damper 23 and outwardly through the restricted portion 22 of the flue so that smoking of the furnace due to back draft is eliminated.

In the present instance I have disclosed a hot air-furnace of the coal burning type but it will be understood that my system lends itself to the use of furnaces designed for the consumption of other fuels, such as oil or gas. It will also be understood that the location and cross sectional contours of the flues l9 and'29 are not essential factors and may be varied to afford the best results in connection with each installation. In the particular installation described herein it will be noted that the flue 29 is octagonal in cross section and is arranged with its sides 29a engaging four partitions 40 by which the floor space B is divided to provide four adjoining rooms indicated at ll,

42, 43, and 44 in Fig. 4-. Each of the remaining sides 29b of the flue 29 is provided with hot air outlets 34 and cool air inlets 35 serving one of the rooms ll.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:-

1. A hot air heating system comprising a hot air furnace including an air heating chamber provided with a cold air inlet, a smoke flue extending upwardly from said furnace, an air heating flue extending upwardly from said air heating chamber and surrounding said smoke flue, said air flue having its upper end closed oi! and being provided, at intervals corresponding to different floor levels, with air inlets and outlets arranged to provide at least one inlet and one outlet for each floor level, said air inlets being arranged to extend upwardly within the flue so that relatively cool air is caused to enter the latter through the inlet or inlets at each floor level by the injector action of the heated air rising in said flue.

2. An air heating system as set forth in claim 1 in which the smoke flue is provided with a restricted upper portion.

3. A heating system as set forth in claim 1 in which the smoke flue is provided with a restricted portion and with a damper located at the juncture of the restricted portion with the main portion of the flue.

4. An air heating system comprising a furnace including an air heating chamber provided with a cold air inlet, a smoke flue extending upwardly from said furnace and having its upper portion constricted to a diameter considerably less than the diameter of the main portion of the flue, an air heating flue surrounding said smoke flue, said air heating flue having its upper end closed off and its lower end communicating with said air heating chamber and being provided, at intervals corresponding to different floor levels, with air inlet and outlet openings arranged to provide at least one cool air inlet and one hot air outlet serving each floor level.

5. An air heating system comprising a hot air furnace provided with inner and outer casings affording an intervening air heating chamber, said outer casing having an opening in its lower portion for the admission of cold air to said chamber and having its top portionformed to provide an upwardly extending dome or hot air storage space communicating with the main portion of said chamber, a vertical smoke flue having its lower end communicating with the flre box of the furnace, a-vertical air heating flue surrounding said smoke flue and having its lower end in communication with said storage dome, said air heating flue being closed off at its upper end and being provided with a plurality of air inlet and air outlet openings arranged to serve different floor levels, said inlet and outlet openings being arranged to provide at least one cool air inlet and one hot air outlet for each floor level.

6. A hot air heating system comprising a hot air furnace including an air heating chamber provided with a cold air inlet in the lower portion thereof, the upper portion of said chamber being formed to provide a storage dome in which the heated air rising from the lower portion of the air heating chamber is accumulated to build up a substantial pressure, ducts through which heated air under pressure is forced to points remote from the furnace, a smoke flue extending upwardly from said furnace, an air heating flue surrounding said smoke flue and having its upper end closed off, the lower end of said air heating flue being in communication with said dome through a restricted opening, said air flue being further provided, at intervals corresponding to different floor levels, with air inlets and outlets arranged to provide at least one inlet and one outlet for each floor level.

7. A hot air heating system comprising a hot air furnace provided with inner and outer casings affording an intervening air heating chamber, said inner casing enclosing the flre box of the furnace and said outer casing having an opening in its lower portion for the admission of cold air to said chamber and having its top portion formed to provide an upwardly extending storage dome in which the heated air rising from the lower portion of the air heating chamber is accumulated to build up a substantial pressure, ducts through which heated air from said dome is forced to remote points by the pressure developed in said dome, a vertical smoke flue having its lower end communicating with an opening in the top of the inner casing of the furnace and having its upper end restricted in diameter, a damper located at the juncture of the restricted portion with the main portion of the flue, a vertical air flue surrounding said smoke flue and having its lower end in communication with said storage dome through a restricted opening, the areas of the openings placing said ducts and said vertical air flue in communication with said dome being suitably proportioned with reference to the cubical capacity of the dome so as to maintain a uniform pressure within the dome suiilcient to force heated air from the dome to remote points via said ducts and air heating flue 'said system being further characterized in that the said air flue is closed off at its upper end and is provided, at intervals corresponding to diii'erent floor levels, with air inlets and outlets arranged to provide at least one inlet and one outlet for each floor level, said inlets being arranged to extend upwardly within the flue so that relatively cool air is caused to enter the latter through the inlet or inlets at each 6 floor level by the injector action of the heated air JAMES H. MAKER.

' rising in said flue. 

